InTheStudio.NET - Sting on The Last Ship - 16-Time Grammy Award Winner Discusses His First Album of Original Music in a Decade...

October 11, 2013

InTheStudio.NET, the web home for North American syndicated rock radio show InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands features STING on his new album The Last Ship. The album, his first of original music in a decade, is inspired by his forthcoming play of the same name, which will debut in Chicago in June 2014 before premiering on Broadway in the fall of 2014.

Growing up beside the Swan Hunters shipyard in Wallsend near Newcastle, England, Sting's family and community were intrinsically tied to the local shipbuilding industry. As a child, he watched thousands of men make their way to the Swan Hunters for work each morning, and wondered if he too was destined for the shipyard.

Sting has enjoyed a successful and enduring career, with The Police and as a solo musician, though recently found himself creatively uninspired.

"I make my living as a songwriter so it's kind of worrying when that well runs dry. As soon as I began to think of writing for other people, for other voices, for other characters from other viewpoints apart from my own, this stuff started to flow because I wasn't in the way anymore."

InTheStudio hosted by 35-year Sting supporter Redbeard, takes a revealing look at The Last Ship with an in-depth interview about making the album and telling this epic story of heritage, community, relationships, and universal truths.

STREAM STING The Last Ship part 1 & 2 this month as part of InTheStudio's Medium Rare "online-only" rockumentary series.

Oct 10, 2013

Thank you Sting, for your efforts to bring something so original & personal to the Broadway stage. The album tracks from 'The Last Ship' & the run of shows at the Public Theater make it clear that is shaping up to be something far more than the typical rock star jukebox musical or film adaptations that have cluttered the stage in recent years. The chance to hear the stories that inspired the songs & the rare glimpse into the creative process - seeing these songs performed while the show itself is still in development & while new material is still being created was all such a wonderfully unique opportunity, not only for your fanbase, but for anyone fortunate enough to score a ticket. I also greatly appreciated the visual elements of the concert, from the poles made to look like the masts of a ship & the images of ships being built & the impact of the industry on your hometown. I grew up in the shadows of monolithic grain elevators that to this day stand as reminders of the backbreaking work my ancestors, Irish immigrants on the Buffalo waterfront, did for many years, shortly after arriving in this country. I think that the story that you're hoping to tell with your characters & their desire to build this "last ship," not for investors but for themselves & their humanity, is one that will resonate with audiences well outside of Wallsend. Wishing all involved with the production fair winds & following seas! - Shawn Farrell
For more fan feedback of the Public Theatre concerts read on...